1. Field of the invention
The invention generally relates to systems and methods for providing products to animals and particularly to systems and methods for providing nutritional and other products to animals.
2. Description of Related Art
To maintain health and wellness and ensure a good quality of life, animals should be fed an appropriate amount of a healthy and nutritious diet on a regular basis. However, feeding methods and patterns often result in an animal receiving inadequate nutrition or unhealthy amounts of food. Studies have shown that many animals such as cats naturally eat several times per day, in some instances as many as 10 to 20 small meals per day. However, an animal caretaker typically serves food 1 or 2 times per day and leaves the food exposed and available to the animal during the remainder of the day. For example, if a three ounce portion of wet cat food is fed to a cat, the cat may eat only a small portion of the food. The remainder quickly dries and becomes unpalatable. As a result, the cat does not eat the remaining portion, which must be discarded. This wastes a lot of food, increases the cost of feeding the animal, and places the animal at risk for the effects of poor nutrition. Similarly, many animals have other issues related to feeding and nutrition. For example, aging animals may have trouble maintaining hydration. Many cats receive most of their water from wet cat food, which is approximately 78% moisture. If the cats do not eat enough food or if they eat food with inadequate moisture because the food has dried and become unpalatable, the cats may not get enough water or may not get water in a regular manner that supports good health and wellness.
In the United States, it is estimated that between 25% and 40% of companion animals are overweight or obese. Generally, an animal is considered overweight if it weighs more than 10% above its ideal body weight and obese if it weighs more than 15% above its ideal body weight. Obesity in companion animals is implicated in increased risk of diabetes mellitus, arthritis, pancreatitis, hepatic lipidosis, orthopedic disorders, cardiovascular disease, respiratory ailments, hip dysplasia, liver disease, gastrointestinal disorders, and skin problems. Further, some breeds of dogs and cats have particular propensities for rapid weight gain in spite of a diligent owner's attempts to curb the animal's increasing weight, generally by limiting food intake. Often, excess weight and obesity can be linked to access to and consumption of too much food, particularly in combination with too little physical activity. Feeding methods that involve feeding relatively large food portions on an irregular or infrequent basis often result in an animal consuming too much food. Most dogs and many cats eat whatever food is available. If excess food is exposed and available, the animal consumes too much food and becomes overweight or obese.
Problems related to improper feeding methods and with controlling food intake inhibit animals from receiving proper nutrition that supports health and wellness and ensures a good quality of life for the animal, particularly if an inactive animal becomes overweight or obese. Given these feeding and nutrition issues, there is, therefore, a need for novel systems and methods for feeding animals a healthy amount of palatable and nutritious foods or a regular basis.